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The Adventures of George
This rollicking look at national leaders, politicians and celebrities in the form of a witty, humorous and satirical narrative poem will make you chuckle. Meet characters such as The Maximum Leader, Mustafa bin Maden, Didi Damin, Borrock Sobama, David Chipperfield and many more. And who is George, our hero? Well, he's based on a real person - read the story and find out who!
Kindle Edition
First published September 1, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
December 4, 2017
3.5*
This satirical poem (38,606 words) takes the form of a series of connected short stories, which revolve around a restaurant whose chef is a parody of George W. Bush. Various rhyming schemes are employed. The numerous adventures feature national leaders, politicians, celebrities and even anti-pork activists. In some instances real names are employed, in others barely disguised aliases. Examples include bin Maden, Borrock Sobama and Didi Damin. Terrorists feature prominently.
This reader admires the author’s rhyming abilities and the imagination entailed in creating this highly original and at times humorous work. However, the format does not lend itself to the elements of a successful story, most notably character development and plot.
This satirical poem (38,606 words) takes the form of a series of connected short stories, which revolve around a restaurant whose chef is a parody of George W. Bush. Various rhyming schemes are employed. The numerous adventures feature national leaders, politicians, celebrities and even anti-pork activists. In some instances real names are employed, in others barely disguised aliases. Examples include bin Maden, Borrock Sobama and Didi Damin. Terrorists feature prominently.
This reader admires the author’s rhyming abilities and the imagination entailed in creating this highly original and at times humorous work. However, the format does not lend itself to the elements of a successful story, most notably character development and plot.
June 17, 2017
First of all, what is “The Adventures of George”, and why would I want to buy it? Well. simply said, “The Adventures of George” is a story by Blair Gowrie, told in verse, concerning our hero George, and you would want to buy it because it is worth buying – it’s an amusing and entertaining tale guaranteed to bring enjoyment to anybody who reads it.
And George? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . who is this George? Well, George may be a common name, but it’s good enough for Kings, for Princes and for Presidents. So which category does our hero fall into? To find out, read this fast-moving narrative poem which chronicles George’s struggles with international leaders and terrorist groups, and which allows you to meet the host of colorful and eccentric characters who cross his path during his many adventures – people such as The Bearded One, Didi Damin, Elvester, Onassos, David Chipperfield, Sir Solomon Pushdee, and many more.
Here is George meeting The Mere Leader -
“George welcomed him with his usual grace,
Soothing words and smiling face,
But response there was none, no reaction at all,
No high-flown speech, no honeyed words,
But merely a touch of the outstretched hand
As if George were some lackey of the land
Come to pay homage to his lord.”
And Kennedy -
“At a nearby table was a man of about fifty
Who had been drinking a lot and was rather tipsy,
And after eyeing George’s group for quite some time
Plucked up his courage and did thus opine,
“Honoured Sirs, allow me to give you my name,
Kennedy it is, and I’m proud of the same.
I’m of Irish descent, as you can well see,
So the drinking of Guinness comes naturally to me”.”
George sees Giganti for the first time –
“There weren’t many people in the bar,
But standing at the counter, not very far
From Kennedy’s table there was a man,
A cigar in his mouth, whisky in his hand,
Of powerful build and broad of shoulder,
Black hair slicked back and saturnine features,
Expensively dressed from head to toe,
That all who met him might very well know
That here was a man of power and influence,
His manner radiating a certain arrogance.”
Didi Damin appears –
“Then suddenly a stranger caught his attention,
Powerfully built and with a black complexion,
Who, with two burly guards stopped at the Al-Hambara
To be deferentially greeted by a fawning General Manager.
Kennedy reflected, he’d seen that face before,
Surely this was the man who was responsible for
The death of thousands through torture, and famine,
Yes, the African tyrant, the feared Didi Damin!”
Damin meets Sobama –
“This frenzied feasting coming at last to an end,
Damin wiped his face and toothpick in hand,
Looked around the room and stared at one person,
A man of about forty, tall dark and handsome,
Summoned a waiter and told him very curtly,
“Tell that man over there to come here immediately”,
Causing the waiter to scurry across the floor,
Then whisper something in the dark man’s ear,
Which made him smile and nod in assent,
And walk over to be in the dictator’s presence.
The waiter introduced him with not a little drama,
“Allow me to present Senator Borrock Sobama!””
So what did I learn from this book? Well, I can say that this book is a good read in itself, but if you are interested in politics, are interested in international affairs, and remember your recent history,
then you will enjoy this book even more. And you'll learn that reading narrative poetry can be fun too!
And George? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . who is this George? Well, George may be a common name, but it’s good enough for Kings, for Princes and for Presidents. So which category does our hero fall into? To find out, read this fast-moving narrative poem which chronicles George’s struggles with international leaders and terrorist groups, and which allows you to meet the host of colorful and eccentric characters who cross his path during his many adventures – people such as The Bearded One, Didi Damin, Elvester, Onassos, David Chipperfield, Sir Solomon Pushdee, and many more.
Here is George meeting The Mere Leader -
“George welcomed him with his usual grace,
Soothing words and smiling face,
But response there was none, no reaction at all,
No high-flown speech, no honeyed words,
But merely a touch of the outstretched hand
As if George were some lackey of the land
Come to pay homage to his lord.”
And Kennedy -
“At a nearby table was a man of about fifty
Who had been drinking a lot and was rather tipsy,
And after eyeing George’s group for quite some time
Plucked up his courage and did thus opine,
“Honoured Sirs, allow me to give you my name,
Kennedy it is, and I’m proud of the same.
I’m of Irish descent, as you can well see,
So the drinking of Guinness comes naturally to me”.”
George sees Giganti for the first time –
“There weren’t many people in the bar,
But standing at the counter, not very far
From Kennedy’s table there was a man,
A cigar in his mouth, whisky in his hand,
Of powerful build and broad of shoulder,
Black hair slicked back and saturnine features,
Expensively dressed from head to toe,
That all who met him might very well know
That here was a man of power and influence,
His manner radiating a certain arrogance.”
Didi Damin appears –
“Then suddenly a stranger caught his attention,
Powerfully built and with a black complexion,
Who, with two burly guards stopped at the Al-Hambara
To be deferentially greeted by a fawning General Manager.
Kennedy reflected, he’d seen that face before,
Surely this was the man who was responsible for
The death of thousands through torture, and famine,
Yes, the African tyrant, the feared Didi Damin!”
Damin meets Sobama –
“This frenzied feasting coming at last to an end,
Damin wiped his face and toothpick in hand,
Looked around the room and stared at one person,
A man of about forty, tall dark and handsome,
Summoned a waiter and told him very curtly,
“Tell that man over there to come here immediately”,
Causing the waiter to scurry across the floor,
Then whisper something in the dark man’s ear,
Which made him smile and nod in assent,
And walk over to be in the dictator’s presence.
The waiter introduced him with not a little drama,
“Allow me to present Senator Borrock Sobama!””
So what did I learn from this book? Well, I can say that this book is a good read in itself, but if you are interested in politics, are interested in international affairs, and remember your recent history,
then you will enjoy this book even more. And you'll learn that reading narrative poetry can be fun too!
December 13, 2015
An interesting tale told in verse, a fun read.
This is a tricky work to rate, so as always, do not let my star count override your judgement of content. More on the stars, counting, and my rating challenges later. I found that, the more I read, the more I enjoyed and appreciated the work.
It is essentially a set of connected short stories told in rhyming verse. You need either to know world figures, or have someone help you if you don’t. I mention this because younger readers might get a kick out of this work too.
Everything revolves around the staff of a restaurant and its chief chef and owner, George. Various international figures try to influence various things, from kidnapping George to threatening violence if Mister Hamburger does not get out of certain countries. The plot moves around the world a fair bit.
The book is light-hearted despite the serious situations. The various tales interweave as the work walks forward, one of the reasons I suggest a purchaser read the entire book for sure(but probably not in one session - it’s fairly long and includes some thirty-one poem sections, all of more than one page.)
For an example of the style of writing, consider this: “One day there came into the club /a stranger causing a great hubbub /with his soldierly, swaggering, uniformed figure,/ and short black hair and moustache a-quiver, /and with him aides and associates ten, /all muscular, military, mustachioed men, /and looking around with disdain he decried /not a table there was which was not occupied, /and noticing a nearby noisy group /of diners spooning up their soup /at a longish table seating twenty /and laden with food and drink a-plenty, /he called the captain with this demand, /“Give me that table, it’s my command.””
Again, the section entitled David Chipperfield begins thus: “The theatre was arranged in a dinner type style, /with tables for patrons to watch and to dine, /or have a few drinks, whisky, or perhaps beer./ And to the stage Vince’s table was near, /providing a view of the chorus line /where the sequined beauties all looked divine/in ostrich-feather costumes with beaver-fur trimming,/ high-stepping, high-kicking, dancing and spinning, /with perfect co-ordination and timing, /and dazzling smiles, white teeth all a-shining.”
If you’re scrolling for the tiny carps, they are few. Maybe a typo. The odd not-rhyme and a few close rhymes. Nothing of consequence, and not surprising in a work of this size.
So, back to the star count. Again, this is an unusual work and your opinion may be different. My personal guidelines, when doing any review, are as follows: five stars means, roughly equal to best in genre. Rarely given. Four stars means, extremely good. Three stars means, definitely recommendable. I am a tough reviewer. I try to be consistent. I think four stars is about right. If you understand the ‘form’ of this work, you should be happy with your purchase.
This is a tricky work to rate, so as always, do not let my star count override your judgement of content. More on the stars, counting, and my rating challenges later. I found that, the more I read, the more I enjoyed and appreciated the work.
It is essentially a set of connected short stories told in rhyming verse. You need either to know world figures, or have someone help you if you don’t. I mention this because younger readers might get a kick out of this work too.
Everything revolves around the staff of a restaurant and its chief chef and owner, George. Various international figures try to influence various things, from kidnapping George to threatening violence if Mister Hamburger does not get out of certain countries. The plot moves around the world a fair bit.
The book is light-hearted despite the serious situations. The various tales interweave as the work walks forward, one of the reasons I suggest a purchaser read the entire book for sure(but probably not in one session - it’s fairly long and includes some thirty-one poem sections, all of more than one page.)
For an example of the style of writing, consider this: “One day there came into the club /a stranger causing a great hubbub /with his soldierly, swaggering, uniformed figure,/ and short black hair and moustache a-quiver, /and with him aides and associates ten, /all muscular, military, mustachioed men, /and looking around with disdain he decried /not a table there was which was not occupied, /and noticing a nearby noisy group /of diners spooning up their soup /at a longish table seating twenty /and laden with food and drink a-plenty, /he called the captain with this demand, /“Give me that table, it’s my command.””
Again, the section entitled David Chipperfield begins thus: “The theatre was arranged in a dinner type style, /with tables for patrons to watch and to dine, /or have a few drinks, whisky, or perhaps beer./ And to the stage Vince’s table was near, /providing a view of the chorus line /where the sequined beauties all looked divine/in ostrich-feather costumes with beaver-fur trimming,/ high-stepping, high-kicking, dancing and spinning, /with perfect co-ordination and timing, /and dazzling smiles, white teeth all a-shining.”
If you’re scrolling for the tiny carps, they are few. Maybe a typo. The odd not-rhyme and a few close rhymes. Nothing of consequence, and not surprising in a work of this size.
So, back to the star count. Again, this is an unusual work and your opinion may be different. My personal guidelines, when doing any review, are as follows: five stars means, roughly equal to best in genre. Rarely given. Four stars means, extremely good. Three stars means, definitely recommendable. I am a tough reviewer. I try to be consistent. I think four stars is about right. If you understand the ‘form’ of this work, you should be happy with your purchase.
April 10, 2016
“The Adventures of George is a fascinating and entertaining narrative poem that is written entirely in verse and chronicles the adventures and struggles of George, a chef who works in an exclusive New York restaurant along with his five cooks.” https://walkerputsche.wordpress.com/
These thirty-one hilarious connected short stories introduce the reader to a number of kaleidoscopic and peculiar characters, which resemble national leaders, terrorists and celebrities who are described in a humorous and satirical way.
I would highly recommend this book to people who are interested in politics and international affairs, knowledge of recent history and have a great sense of humour.
Each story is superbly crafted, original and well-written and a real credit to the author who clearly knows how to inject the right amount of satire to make this a fun and highly entertaining read.
My Ranking: 5 Stars
These thirty-one hilarious connected short stories introduce the reader to a number of kaleidoscopic and peculiar characters, which resemble national leaders, terrorists and celebrities who are described in a humorous and satirical way.
I would highly recommend this book to people who are interested in politics and international affairs, knowledge of recent history and have a great sense of humour.
Each story is superbly crafted, original and well-written and a real credit to the author who clearly knows how to inject the right amount of satire to make this a fun and highly entertaining read.
My Ranking: 5 Stars
October 6, 2016
I love good poems. I loved this one especially for its subtility and odd sense of humour.
"the president's a chef"...
With incredible rhythms and rhymes, this poem collection is a good use of your time as it is clearly very entertaining and humorous in a good way.
If I have ever seen a funny political caricature but in words and rhythms, it is The Adventures of George. The funny thing is, nobody escapes the grasp of Blair.
I recommend this subtle poem for relaxation and entertainment.
"the president's a chef"...
With incredible rhythms and rhymes, this poem collection is a good use of your time as it is clearly very entertaining and humorous in a good way.
If I have ever seen a funny political caricature but in words and rhythms, it is The Adventures of George. The funny thing is, nobody escapes the grasp of Blair.
I recommend this subtle poem for relaxation and entertainment.
October 6, 2016
I love good poems. I loved this one especially for its subtility and odd sense of humour.
"the president's a chef"...
With incredible rhythms and rhymes, this poem collection is a good use of your time as it is clearly very entertaining and humorous in a good way.
If I have ever seen a funny political caricature but in words and rhythms, it is The Adventures of George. The funny thing is, nobody escapes the grasp of Blair.
I recommend this subtle poem for relaxation and entertainment.
"the president's a chef"...
With incredible rhythms and rhymes, this poem collection is a good use of your time as it is clearly very entertaining and humorous in a good way.
If I have ever seen a funny political caricature but in words and rhythms, it is The Adventures of George. The funny thing is, nobody escapes the grasp of Blair.
I recommend this subtle poem for relaxation and entertainment.
October 17, 2016
Good book! Keeps you reading to find out what will happen.I could not put this book down. I like the way this author writes. I was excited, scared, confused, and baffled all at the same time. I will definitely read this author again.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews